Ring monitor

ABSTRACT

An electronically amplified acoustic signal is used to activate a marker and record the time of occurrence of the signal on a rotating disc.

I Umted States Patent 1151 3,641,582 Theodoridis Feb. 8, 1972 s41 RING MONITOR 688,184 12/1901 Lee ..346/ll6 [72] Inventor: George Comma Theodoridk l7 Colom 2,572,814 10/1951 Laporte ..200/6l.0l x

nade Club, University of Va., Charlot- FOREGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS lesvillc, Va. 22903 v [22] NM July is 1970 576,596 4/1946 Great Bntam ..346/21 I' ux 1N 55,l89 Primary Examiner-Joseph W. Hartary 152 u.s.c1 ..346/21, 346/80 .1571 ABS C |51 1111.121. .0010 9/10 531 Field ofSearch ..346/2l,80, 102; 179/7.1,7, i g' z fi g 1 2 179/1 R; 18110.5 511, 26; 340/261; ZOO/61.01 mm P 6 3 I 1 romtlngdlsc. [56] Reierences CIted 1 la 3D" Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 299,011 5/1884 Redding ..346/l02X PATENTEMB 8|972 3.641.582

' sum 1 OF 2 RING MONITOR SUMMARY This device is activated by the ring of a telephone or a doorbell, and keeps a time record of such events. The record is DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a side view of the device; FIG. 2 shows a top view of the device; FIG. 3 is a diagram of the electronics.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The device consists of a container box of an electric clock 2; that rotates a disc 3 on which a marker 5 records a signal at the sound of a ring. The signal is marked on a surface 4 consisting of the commonly known magic paper" (a semitransparent plastic sheet over a slightly adhesive dark surface) on which a mark can be made by touching it with a solid body; the mark can be erased by lifting the plastic sheet away from the adhesive surface. The disc makes a full rotation in 12 hours, and the hours are indicated on it so that the position of the signals shows the time when they were made. The signals are preserved for the duration of a full disc rotation; just before reaching the marker, the signals are erased so that new signals can be recorded. This is done by a small sheet of plastic 6 permanently positioned between the adhesive surface and the plastic cover of the magic paper; as the disc turns, the small sheet of plastic separates the adhesive surface from the plastic cover so that previous signals are erased before reaching the area of the marker.

The ring produced by a telephone is perceived by a microphone 8 and is processed by electronics 9 to activate the marker. The marker is made to hit the disc by passing current through a magnetic coil 7. The DC current that activates the coil is controlled by a current-activated switch 11. The signal from the microphone is amplified, and the AC output from the amplifier 15 is rectified through a circuit consisting of a resistor l3 and a diode 14; the DC component of the voltage drop on the resistor 13 is used to activate the switch I1 and in turn the coil 7 and the marker 5. The sensitivity of the device can be regulated through a variable resistor 12 connected in series with the resistor 13 and the switch 11. Power for the coil of the marker as well as for the amplifier is supplied by a DC power supply 16 through on-off switch 10.

I claim:

1. A device for temporarily recording the time of occurrence of an acoustic signal such as the ring of a telephone or doorbell comprising: a record member consisting of a semitranspal'ent plastic sheet over a slightly adhesive dark surface, a driving means for moving said record member in proportion to time, a microphone means, a marker means for marking said record member, circuit means connecting said microphone means and said marker means, and erasing means located at a distance from said marking means and positioned between said sheet and said surface for separating said sheet and said surface whereby any mark on said record member is temporarily preserved for a set period of time. 

1. A device for temporarily recording the time of occurrence of an acoustic signal such as the ring of a telephone or doorbell comprising: a record member consisting of a semitransparent plastic sheet over a slightly adhesive dark surface, a driving means for moving said record member in proportion to time, a microphone means, a marker means for marking said record member, circuit means connecting said microphone means and said marker means, and erasing means located at a distance from said marking means and positioned between said sheet and said surface for separating said sheet and said surface whereby any mark on said record member is temporarily preserved for a set period of time. 